Obaa is a publishing platform & magazine where every woman has a voice. We capture the thoughts, opinions, and literary works of women and girls around the world.
We want words to be authentic. We offer basic editing services (grammar, punctuation) because we want your work to sound like… YOU! In the few cases where we have to correct wording, we will attempt to preserve the original meaning and intent behind your work.
Below are some guidelines to help you contribute your work in a responsible manner...
When submitting your work, please do the following:
Ask yourself: “What is the purpose of my work?”, “Why do I want to share this with the world?”
Perhaps you want to share a sample of your literary work, to shine a light on a topic of great importance, to discuss something you've learned, to let others know they’re not alone in a way of thinking, etc.
Please use respectful language.
There is a difference between being critical and being insulting or abusive.
Non-fiction which contains crude language (i.e. swear words) will not be published. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis for poetry or fiction.
Unless they are public figures, think about & preserve the privacy of people mentioned in your post.
If you cannot get their permission to include their names, change them - and remove as much identifying information as possible.
Tell your story through your own perspective.
Provide sources for any facts stated, or any quotes that are not your words.
Connect with us if you’re concerned about how your work will be perceived.
Use either your real name, or if you wish to preserve your privacy, your official pen (writing) name.
Use of your pen name must be consistent any time you submit work. Please do not simply use initials to replace your last name. Create an authentic-sounding pen name instead.
All submitted content must comply with our Terms of Use.
Most importantly,
You may not incite hatred against, promote violence against, attack, or threaten other people on the basis of race, caste, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, or disability.
We have a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism. All submitted content is passed through QueText. We also allow readers to report plagiarized content.
At this time, Obaa | by GirlTable is only available in the English language. As such, if your work contains other languages, please offer an English translation.
If your work is completely in another language, we will publish both the original in the other language, as well as the English version.
In situations where the majority of your work is in English with just a few words or sentences in another language, please provide a translation of the word, phrase or sentence in parenthesis.
Text submissions must meet a minimum word count of 100 (for prose), and 60 (for poetry). Audio submissions must be at least 30 seconds long for both poetry & prose. If you have something much shorter to share, consider sharing on GirlTable.
Checklist
Is my work ready for the public? Edit your work for correct grammar, punctuation, and style. You don’t have to be perfect; however, please ensure that your work is readable (can be read and understood by others) - have a friend or GirlTable sister read over it if you are unsure. It should be ready for eyes everywhere!
Is it in the right file format? We accept only .doc, .docx, .txt, or .pdf for text submissions, and only .mp3 and .wav for audio submissions.
Do I have a cover image? Use a photo that you captured yourself (your property) or get one from online databases such as RawPixel, Unsplash, or Pexels.
[AUDIO ONLY} Are there any noises in the background? Record your audio in distraction-free environments and make sure your voice is audible.